Supplemental Materials forGrandfather Tang’s Story(A Tale Told with Tangrams)

by: Ann Tompert

Created by Jessie Moreau, M.Ed., NBCTGwinnett County Public Schools, 2011

Math GSE Middle School Standards

• MGSE8.G.2 Understand that a two‐dimensional figure is congruent to another if the second can be obtained from the first by a sequence of rotations, reflections, and translations; given two congruent figures, describe a sequence that exhibits the congruence between them.

Grade 8

When students match the shapes to the same size and shape on the tangram, that is called congruence.

*To be aligned to the standard MGSE8.G.2, students must work on the skill of identifying congruence through transformations (flips, slides, turns).

As students make choices of which shapes to place on the animal tangrams, be sure to have them flip the ears on the foxes to show the transformational congruence (same size/shape through a reflection /flip.)

There are two pairs of congruent triangles in a tangram – the largest two right triangles and the smallest two right triangles. Students can use these to show the transformations (slides, turns, flips) or they can use one shape and find the congruent shape on the template using a transformation.

Students who are nonverbal may use AAC devices and/or picture overlays to answer questions about the type of transformation that has been made. Use the transformation pictures on Slide 4 for AAC devices or for visual supports.

Other examples: as students make choices of which shapes to place on the animal tangrams, be sure to have them flip (reflection) the ears on the foxes and/or the large triangles of the crocodile or goose to show how the triangle can flip (reflect) from lett to right or up and down to face the opposite way. Students who are nonverbal may use AAC devices and/or picture overlays to make responses.

Tangram Patterns – 4 ½” squares

Directions: Print on white paper for students to use to make animal tangrams.

For student repeated practice, you may want to laminate and velcro the worksheets and tangram pieces.

For assessment purposes, have students glue their shapes onto the tangram animals. You may only want to have students complete one or two tangrams per math/literature session.

If you have students who can cut on the lines, then you may want to have them cut their own. If students cannot cut, then precut the shapes on construction paper or colored cardstock for them.

Students who need to match to sample with color, can match shapes to slides 4 – 15; those who can match to an outline should use slides 16 – 27.

Chou – a haw

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Wu Ling – a turtle

Name _____________________________________________________ Date ___________________________

Chou – a fox

Name _____________________________________________________ Date ___________________________

Wu Ling – a fox

Name _____________________________________________________ Date ___________________________

Wu Ling – a rabbit

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Chou – a crocodile

Name _____________________________________________________ Date ___________________________

Wu Ling – a goose

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Wu Ling – a lion

Name _____________________________________________________ Date ___________________________